大象传媒

Good morning. In the Hebrew Bible there鈥檚 a verse that says, 鈥渇or everything there is an appointed a time鈥�.聽 Yet many of us feel that there isn鈥檛 enough time.聽 That we are always behind the clock, the day is never long enough and the agenda is never finished.聽

You may remember Rudyard Kipling鈥檚 idea that we should 鈥渇ill every minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run鈥� 鈥� well that鈥檚 an image that leaves me with the notion that life has to be filled with constant activity and if we are not 鈥渄oing鈥� things then we are wasting our time. But I believe that this image over-emphasises 鈥渄oing鈥� over 鈥渂eing鈥�.聽

I think that life does move too quickly these days. I can barely keep up with the demands of everyday communication and I sometimes think that I spend too long on unimportant things at the expense of things that really matter. So, here鈥檚 a wee bit from a prayer sometimes attributed to Wilferd [sic] Peterson, and whether or not faith is a major part of your life I think this will ring a bell:

Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.聽

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations 鈥� of slowing down to look at a flower, to pat a dog, or to read a few lines from a good book.

Let me look up into the branches of the towering oak, and know that it grew great and strong, because it grew slowly and well. AMEN